Booz Allen Hamilton tested two leading AI models across eight cyberattack scenarios targeting operational technology (OT) systems, and the models succeeded in every case — mapping networks, exploiting vulnerabilities, manipulating industrial controllers, and even moving a robotic arm, all within minutes. The tests demonstrated that AI agents can carry out sophisticated attacks on critical infrastructure with speed and engineering-level precision, without needing access to technical documents or specialist OT knowledge. Experts warn that many critical infrastructure organisations lack the foundational cybersecurity practices needed to detect or respond to such attacks in time.
